New Study Touts the Benefits of Instant Oatmeal

Instant oatmeal is not only a delicious food that comes in a variety of different flavors, it’s also conveniently packed making it simple to travel with or easy to find in many healthy vending machines. Add a little fruit or spice and you have yourself a healthy breakfast treat.

In a study, 48 healthy individuals who were 18 years old or older participated in a crossover, randomized trial. The study’s objective was to make a comparison between a couple oat-based breakfast cereals on food intake, appetite and satiety. Foods enhancing satiety help consumers adhere to calorie restriction diets and combat environmental impulses to eat.

Participants were given isocaloric servings of either oat-based ready-to-eat breakfast cereal (RTEC) or oatmeal in random order that was a minimum of a week apart. Researchers measured satiety and appetite through visual analog scales. Measurements were taken before participants ate breakfast and throughout the morning. They served the participants lunch 4 hours after they ate breakfast.

According to the study, compared to the RTEC, oatmeal:

Reduced hunger

Increased fullness

Reduced prospective intake

Reduced the desire to eat

Basically, the study found oatmeal when compared with RTEC increases satiety, suppresses the appetite and reduces energy intake.

On top of this, the packets of instant oatmeal are very convenient. You can pack a few pouches in your bag when traveling along with some fruit and have yourself a healthy, yet simple breakfast in your hotel room.

Furthermore, if you’re looking to make a simple, healthy and effective change in your diet, eat a packet of instant oatmeal instead of that bowl of high-sugar cereal. High fiber oats are associated with improved heart health and lowered cholesterol.

When you add instant oatmeal to a healthy diet, you are keeping your levels of LDL cholesterol down and increasing your fiber intake. Instant oatmeal is also a good source for magnesium, calcium and phosphorus. You get 12 micrograms of selenium per 1 cup of instant oatmeal cooked giving you a fifth of the required daily selenium. According to the National Institutes of Health, selenium benefits your heart, immune system and thyroid.

Bottom line — when you select the unsweetened instant oatmeal packets, they’re both healthy and handy. They’re a great way to start your day.